🗣️ Speeches and Debates
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My Lords, I will not take a moment. I have been very impressed by all the contributions to the debate. If Gurkha veterans living in the United Kingdom in their advancing years need to do so, will they get access to the hospital charities such as Erskine in Scotland, along with the other military hospitals?
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One point of clarification would help me. The noble Lord, Lord Hamilton, put the case that cars—and quite luxurious ones for that matter—could be used during the course of seeking petitioners. Can the Minister say whether there will be a financial limit on the amount spent for that petitioning purpose? In every other democratic system there is a limit, and a very strict one at that.
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In all my experience of petitions, they are public documents. The other place is famous for petitions being laid before Parliament. This is a public record, but now we are discussing the introduction of an element of secrecy about it. The recall of a Member of Parliament is a very serious matter. We are working through a process to remove a democratically elected Member of Parliament and we...
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My Lords, I hope noble Lords will forgive me if I have misunderstood the comments of the noble Lord, Lord Tyler, but I think that he said that there was an exception to the rule in the case of some Members of Parliament from Northern Ireland who make it a point not to come to Westminster to take the oath. However, we have been talking about expenses and it should be remembered that the...
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I have often been careful in the past to remind Members in the other place that they should not use amendments for Second Reading purposes, but perhaps I can stray, because the expenses situation has been mentioned by my noble friend and others and I find it interesting with regard to the recall of MPs. When I came into this House, some Members who had served in the other place were quick to...
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My Lords, when I served as a Member of Parliament, I had a large proportion of asylum seekers in my constituency of Glasgow Springburn. What would happen was that the asylum seeker would say, “I seek asylum” and therefore they were looked at. Can I get the assurance that when asylum seekers are seeking asylum, they are checked to see whether they have been serious offenders in their...
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I shall speak in order to tidy things up. The noble and learned Lord is right—the turnout was fantastic. I am proud to live in the constituency of East Dunbartonshire where the turnout was 91% and where they overwhelmingly voted no. Unfortunately, there are elements in the media and the so-called “45 brigade” who say that we should have another referendum. It is important that the cost...
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My Lords, may I call on the Minister to give every encouragement to the community-based housing associations that operate up and down the country? When I served as an MP, I had six community-based housing associations in my area. They provided lovely homes, they rehabilitated old tenements, they build community halls, they built sheltered housing—
More of Lord Martin of Springburn's speeches and debates
✍️ Written Questions and Answers
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Statement by Lord Astor of Hever on 6 November (HL Deb, col 227), what steps they are taking to ensure that all of BAE Systems' apprentices are able to complete their apprenticeships.
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 4 July (WA 242), when the Financial Ombudsman's Service will reply to Lord Martin of Springburn; and who will reply.
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many complaints are currently awaiting appeal to the Financial Ombudsman; and what was the average length of time taken for an appeal to be heard in 2012–13.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government whether special advisers are required to register any hospitality given by commercial organisations; and whether a register is maintained for that purpose.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government how many special advisers they employ.
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To ask Her Majesty's Government whether special advisers are provided with a copy of the Special Advisers' Code of Conduct at the point of their employment by the Government.
More of Lord Martin of Springburn's written questions
